winter

Edge of a Long Twilight

Posted on by Jimmy

Daytime scene featuring a clear blue sky with a prominent half-moon visible in the top right corner. In the foreground, leafless trees with intricate, bare branches create a stark contrast against the vibrant sky

This Californian still struggles with winter. Instead of going inward, pressing pause on the outside world, and enjoying the slowness of things, I’ve found myself dealing with big things over the last few years; a breakup, a new town and melancholy, existential dread while watching the warmongering, immigration bureaucracy, etc.

This year isn’t any different, other than gaining some awareness that I can choose something different. I can go inside, allow myself to not immediately respond to that favor request from the other, wait an extra week to turn in that paper (it’s Christmas time in Spain after all, where everything is slowing down).

The temperatures drop to 0º and I gave myself permission to delete instagram, re-start mantra meditation, unsubscribe to the podcasts with their cháchara, journal more, turn the heater up a little more, and be kinder to my self.

I’m interested in writing more without the masks though I don’t know where to begin and how much to divulge. Let’s see what happens in next year.

Slim Pickings in Galicia

Posted on by Jimmy

Winter is coming.

Finding a rental was already tough in this area of Spain. Most spare home owners or people who’ve inherited something would rather sell than maintain a place well enough for a tenant be interested.

With Spanish people still reeling from a difficult quarantine, the continued teletrabajo ability for the truly lucky ones, and current second wave of coronavirus after the summer, it seems it’s even harder to find anything.

We’re taking a pause on looking to buy something for the moment. Thinking nearer future, we realize that while our current house is fantastic for the fall, spring, and summer, it was pretty uncomfortable here this winter. But our landlady is unwilling to replace the drafty window and door, or install an actual floor on the bottom level, to make the space more livable. The rent is cheap, but she’s even balked at the thought of us paying more to do these necessary improvements.

“When you two leave, I’m locking the house up and turning off the utilities. Ay, muchos gastos!”

In winter, the only warm area is the kitchen/my workspace with a pellet heater. This leaves Patricia’s workshop/our living room extremely frigid. We reluctantly used an electric space heater that my folks were gracious enough to buy when they visited (also for their own self-preservation last December), but it doesn’t fix the problem.

We’ve been here before. So once again, we’re scouring idealista and milanuncios everyday.